Filling-replenishing mechanism for looms



sept. 2', 1924. 1,507,124

A. E. RHoADEs FILLING REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed July 28I 1923 2 sheets-sneer 2 /NVENTOR @7i 5)/ 35 ATTORNEY prior 'g Rhoades, Serial No. 641,480, May'25,1923,

tecting beat.

Patented sept. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATE si. PATEN Tor ALONZO E. RHOADES, OFHOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPEB'COR- PORATION, OF HOIEUALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ACOR-PORATIQN 0E MAINE.

FILLINGBVEI?LENIS1IING MEGHANISM FOR LOOMS.,

Application filed July 28,

5 State of Massachusetts, have invented anv v Improvement in Filling-Replenishing Mechanisms for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to filling replenishing mechanisms for looms whereby the filling is replenished from time to time. In a application filed by Alonzo E.

a feeler mechanism was shown, described and claimed wherein the feeler was retained in a frontward or inactive position for periods of time and was released for short periods to performits feeling function, the purpose being in said application to prevent injury to the yarn in the shuttle incident to contact therewith by the feeler on each de- `The present invention is a further development of the feeler mechanism of the prior application and has for its objectto provide a feeler mechanism of simplified construction and which will be effective in operation to intermittently engage the filling for periods of activity of the feeler and hold the feeler fromcooperative relation with the filling during periods of inactivity. 'I I The various features of the invention and new combination of parts will best be made clear from the following description and the accompanying drawings of one good form thereof, and the true scope of the invention willhe defined by the claims.

In the drawings: p Fig. 1 is a perspective view at one side of the loom and equipped with a feeler mechanismvembodying the present inventiong Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail showing the actuator operated by ythe take-up mechanism and a part of the controller;

- Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail in side elevation, showing the detent-withdrawn tofree the feeler to the performance of its feeling function;

Fig. l is a View similar to that of Fig. 3v

but showing the detent in Yan intermediate position ready to engage the projection on the feeler'should the feeler be moved front-` 1923. seriali No. 654,355.

wardly by a working supply of `filling in thev l shuttle; l Fig. 5 is a view'similar to that of Figs. 3

and l but showing the detent in engagement.

with theprojection on the feeler Fig. 6 is a similar yview in detail showing the detent as having been thrust towards the plane ofl action of they feeler from the .Y

positionofFig. 5 to withdraw the feeler frontwardly out of'cooperati've relation with the filling;

Fig. 7 is a perspectiveview of the feeler mechanism showing the feeler-inyits front-- wardly withdrawn position which occu-` pie; during normal operation of weaving;l anc Y y Fig. .8 is adetail'ed side elevationpartly in section, showing the feeler in its finally released position for effecting a change of filling whenthat lin the shuttle is substantially exhausted. y

Itv has not been. deemedr necessaryl herein to 4illustrate and describe the` filling ,replen-i y isliing mechanism which is set in operation by movement of the feeler to call the change, because such mechanism4 is now well understood and the details thereof formno'essential part of the present invention,A

In the feeler mechanism shown, the feeler" 'isof the inclined type andmaybe substant tially the same as the feeler'shown and described in Athe patent tov Stimpson,l No. 1,309,226, July 8, 1919, and whilethe advantages of the present inventionr are ymade manifest in connection with such type. of:

A at each side of the loom a bracket 3. pro-l videdv with bearings 4 in which is mounted the transverse or rock shaft 5. of usual construction, and normally held in the position indicated in Fig. 1 by a spring, as usual, butA not herein shown. Securedv to Yandy extend'- i-ng upwardly from the rock kshaft 5 is en arm 6 to which is pivoted at 7 A the arm 8,

e0., inclined feeler, the inventionv is not re-. .I

the rear end `portion of which hasY connected v thereto the member 9 by means of a pivot i 10. 4.Connected to or formed as part of the cam 4follower is an` operating .member 11i which at times, determined by. thev feeler engages the member 9.andby itsufrontward, movement turns the rock shaft 5 to call for the arm 49 of the lever. The spring for normally moving the slide through the con-` troller may, of course, be variously con# trived, but that shown and described pre-k i anism comprises a pick wheel 56 which is stepped along from a going part "of the loom, as usual. Between the pick wheel 56 and the' take-up or sand roll is interposed a train of transmission mechanism which may be of usual construction. In the present instance the train of mechanism comprises the toothed wheels or gears 57, 58, 59 and 60, Fig. 1, the last of which is 'inoperative relation with the sand or take-up roll, the' construction being such that during the operation of the loom, the pick wheel is stepped along andthe cloth is taken up as it is woven. f

The pick wheel, in the present instance of the invention, is providedwith spokes 61, one or more of which carry an Vactuator 62 for operating the slide controller at intervals. The actuator 62 is provided with a trip portion 63 and a dwell portion 64 which act upon the arm 65 extending fromthe pivotal support and connected tothe arm l49. When during the weaving operation the trip portion 63 of the actuator engages the arm connected to they slide controller, the slide and detent are bodily lowered to free the feeler and permit it to perform its feeling function, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, and when the dwell portion 64of the actuator engages the arm 65 the slide and detent are permitted to move upwardly or towards the plane of operation of the feeler into an intermediate position, as indicated in Fig. 4, at which time the end 41 of the detent is in position to engage the projection 32 of the feeler should the latter be moved frontwardly by a working supply of filling on a detecting beat, as indicated in Figf. IVhen the dwell portion of the actuator movesout of engagement with the arm 65, the slide and detent are given a further upward movement or thrust, and since the end 41 of the detent is then-engaged vwith the projection 32 of the feeler, 'the detent isl `the actuator again actsY through the con-y troller/` to bodily move the slide or carrier and detentdownwardly or away Afrom the plane of action of the feeler.

Since the final upward thrust uponthe f detent is utilized in accordance with the present invention to withdraw the l feeler frontwardly out of cooperative relation with the filling, lthe importance of the dwell in the' actuator will be apparent.

Thus during normal weaving operations with a working supply of filling in the shuttle the feeler is held frontwardly out of Contact with the filling on detecting beats for periods of inactivity, which may be longer or shorter as dictated by the actuator, and at intervals the feeler is freed tothe performance of its feeling function during relatively shorter periods of activity and is then moved frontwardly by a thrust upon the detent when the latter' is engaged with the feeler.

' Should the filling be substantially eX- hausted, however,'on a detecting beat, it willl f not be moved frontwardly sufiioiently far to 'engage the projection 32 with the end 41 of the detent, as indicated in Fig. 8,

andthe feeler will continue to perform its feeling" function until, when the critical period is reached, the feeler will. call for .a change of filling. y

The actuator 62-for operating the detent, as hereinbefore described, is shown in the present instance as a lug which may be secured to the pick wheel or some other part of the take-up mechanism by a bolt 66 and nut 67, but vobviously the form of the actuator may bevaried, the essentials 'in this respect being that the;actuator will first trip the detent from the feeler and then main- 1. In a feeler mechanism for looms` the combination of a feeler to detect substantial exhaustion of the filling and thereupon initiate replenishment of filling,` a pivoted ydetent for holding thefeeler in frontward position for periods of inactivity, and means llO for exerting a thrust upon the detent when* engaged with the feeler Yto causethe detentv to turnr upon its fulcrum and remove the feeler frontwardly from cooperative relation with the filling on detecting beats.

2. In afeeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler 'to detect substantial exhaustion, ofthe filling and thereupony ila initiate replenishment of filling, a projec tion carried by the ifeeler, a pivoteddetent for engaging the projection to hold' the feeler in frontward position for periods of inactivity, means for exerting a thrustiipon the detent when engaged with said projection to cause the detent to turn upon its pivotal mounting and move the feeler from l cooperative relation with the filling on de.-

t-ecting beats, and means for tripping the I detent to free the eelerioirperiods-ot activity.

3. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a. tecler to detect subst-an-V tial exhaustion of the filling and thereupon initiate replenishment of filling, a projection carried by the teeler, a pivoted detent for engaging the `projection to hold the.

ieeler in frontward position for periods of inactivity, means Jforl exerting a thrust upon the detent when engaged with saidy projection to cause the detent to turn upon its pivotal mounting and move thef-feeler from cooperative relation with the filling on ward for periods ot inactivity, a slide con-r troller for moving the slide towards the plane ot action ot the feeler .to exert al thrust upon the detent when engaged with the projection on the feeler and cause the detent `to withdraw andjliold the teeler from cooperative relation with the filling on detecting beats. y

5. In a feeler mechanism or'looms, the combination of a feeler to detect-substantial exhaustion o't the filling in the shuttle:

and thereupon initiate replenishment of filling, a projection carried vby the feeler,l

a slide mounted for movement towards and from the plane of act-ion of the ieeler, a detent mounted upon the slide to engage said projection and hold the lfeeler frontward for periods of inactivity, a slide con troller for moving the slide towards the plane of action ot the feeler t0 exert a thrust upon the detent when' engaged with the projection on the teeler and cause the detent to withdraw and hold the teeler from cooperative relation with the filling on `detecting beats, and means actuated from the take-up for withdrawing the slide and detent to free the feeler for periods of activity.

combination oit a 'teeler to detect'substans tantial exhaustion of filling and. thereupon means for bodily moving the detent from the eeler to free it for periods of activity.V 7. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the

combination ot' a feeler to detect substantial exhaustion of the filling and thereupon effect replenishment of filling, a pivoted detent mounted for bodily movement towards and from the plane of vaction of the 'feeler and having its free end extending i'ion-t wardly to engage the teeler, means for moving the detent bodily towards the eeler when engaged. therewith to ycause ther des:

tent to withdraw the. yeeler, and `hold it frontwardly from cooperative relation with the filling 'during periods of' inactivity, and means actuated by the take-upy mechanism for bodily moving the Idetent from the feeler t0 free it for periods oit activity.

In a feeler mechanism for looms, lthe combination of a feeler to detect substantial exhaustion of the filling and having a iprojection, a slide mounted Ifor movement towards and from the plane of action of the feeler, a pivoted-detent mounted on the slide and having 4its tree: end extending fronts;`

wardly to engage the projection, a lslide' controller :normallyy acting upon the slide to move the detent bodily towards the teeler and when engaged withL the projection to' hold the teeler from cooperative relation with the filling, and means acting through the slide controllerr for freeing the feeler from thedetent for periods of activity.

9. In a loom, the combination of atake-up mechanism, a feeler to detect substantial exhaustion of the lil-ling, a detent for holding the feeler in a rontward position for periods of inactivity, a controller Jfor controlling the;` detent, and an actuator on the take-up mech?- anism comprising a tripand dwell portions acting through the controller to trip" thei detent and free the feeler and cause the detent .to dwell in an intermedia-te'positionv for engagement with the feeler should it be inoyed rontwardly byfa working supply of iilling in the shuttle on a detecting beat.

l0. In a loom, the combination ofa take-r up mechanism, a feeler-,a detent .for holding` the feeler during periods of inactivity, a controller for the detent, and an actuator for the controller mounted on the take-up mechanism and comprising a trip and aV dwell portion which act successively through the controller to free the feeler and 'then cause the detent to dwell in an intermediate position to reengage lthe feeler, and means acting upon the controller to cause the detent to withdraw the f'eeler from cooperative relation with the filling when the controller is freed from the actuator.

11. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler, a slide mounted for movement towards and from 'the plane of the f'eeler movement, a detent pivotally mounted upon the slide and having a frontvwardly extending feeler engaging end, a controller for the slide, a spring normally tending to move the slide towards the plane of the Afeeler movement, take-up mechanism, a controller actuator having a trip and dwell portion and mounted on a member of the take-up mechanism.

l2. In an intermittent feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler having periods of activity and inactivity during weaving with the same supply of filling in the shuttle, means for holding the eeler in a position beyond the reach of the filling in the shuttle that it may not contact with the filling on detecting beats during its periods of activity, and a dwell-device for permitting the holding means to assume an intermediate position during a period of activity of the feeler until the lay has made a detecting beat. A i

13. In an intermittent feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler having periods of activity and inactivity during Weaving withthe saine supply of filling in the shuttle, means for moving the feeler to a position beyond the reach of the filling that it may not contact with the lling during its periods of inactivity,-and a'dwell device for permitting said means to assume an intermediate position during a period of activity until the feeler has been moved frontwardly by the. filling on `'a detecting beat.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

`ALONZO E. RHOADES. 

